[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9] [Senate] [Pages 12091-12093] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SILVER STAR RECIPIENTS Mr. DORGAN. Madam President, on Thursday I was privileged to host a bipartisan lunch of the Senate Democratic and Republican policy committees, in honor of a team of Green Berets who earned the Silver Star for extraordinary bravery in combat operations in Afghanistan. These are true American heroes, and their actions were in the proudest traditions of our Armed Forces in general, and of our Special Operations forces in particular. On April 6, 2008, this team's mission was to capture or kill several very high-ranking members of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin, HIG, militant group. The insurgents were in their stronghold, a village perched in Nuristan's Shok Valley that is normally accessible only by pack mule. During a harrowing, nearly 7-hour battle on a mountainside, this team and a few dozen Afghan commandos they had trained took fire from all directions. Outnumbered, the Green Berets fought on even after half of them were wounded--and managed to kill an estimated 150 to 200 enemy fighters. For their heroism in battle, 10 members of Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 from the 3rd Special Forces Group received the Silver Star, one of the highest awards for valor in the U.S. Military. This was the highest number of such awards for a single engagement since the Vietnam war. The men who earned these Silver Stars were CPT Kyle Walton, SFC Scott Ford, SSG Luis Morales, SSG Seth Howard, SSG Ronald Shurer, SSG John Walding, SSG Dillon Behr, SGT David Sanders, SGT Matthew Williams, and SPC Michael Carter. I will ask to have printed in the Record a copy of their Silver Star citations. I will also ask to have printed in the Record a copy of a Washington Post report describing the battle on that Afghan mountainside. Mr. President, as I mentioned earlier, it was our privilege to honor these heroic Green Berets, who were joined at the lunch by SSG Robert Gutierrez, Jr., an Air Force special tactics combat controller who targeted airstrikes during the mission. For his actions, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with ``V'' device for valor. No words can truly express the depth of our gratitude to these men and all the other members of our Armed Forces who have answered their country's call. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have the materials to which I referred printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: [From The Washington Post, Dec. 12, 2008] 10 Green Berets To Receive Silver Star for Afghan Battle (By Ann Scott Tyson) After jumping out of helicopters at daybreak onto jagged, ice-covered rocks and into water at an altitude of 10,000 feet, the 12-man Special Forces team scrambled up the steep mountainside toward its target--an insurgent stronghold in northeast Afghanistan. ``Our plan,'' Capt. Kyle M. Walton recalled in an interview, ``was to fight downhill.'' But as the soldiers maneuvered toward a cluster of thick- walled mud buildings constructed layer upon layer about 1,000 feet farther up the mountain, insurgents quickly manned fighting positions, readying a barrage of fire for the exposed Green Berets. A harrowing, nearly seven-hour battle unfolded on that mountainside in Afghanistan's Nuristan province on April 6, as Walton, his team and a few dozen Afghan commandos they had trained took fire from all directions. Outnumbered, the Green Berets fought on even after half of them were wounded--four critically--and managed to subdue an estimated 150 to 200 insurgents, according to interviews with several team members and official citations. Today, Walton and nine of his teammates from Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 of the 3rd Special Forces Group will receive the Silver Star for their heroism in that battle--the highest number of such awards given to the elite troops for a single engagement since the Vietnam War. That chilly morning, Walton's mind was on his team's mission: to capture or kill several [[Page 12092]] members of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) militant group in their stronghold, a village perched in Nuristan's Shok Valley that was accessible only by pack mule and so remote that Walton said he believed that no U.S. troops, or Soviet ones before them, had ever been there. But as the soldiers, each carrying 60 to 80 pounds of gear, scaled the mountain, they could already spot insurgents running to and fro, they said. As the soldiers drew closer, they saw that many of the mud buildings had holes in the foot-thick walls for snipers. The U.S. troops had maintained an element of surprise until their helicopters turned into the valley, but by now the insurgent leaders entrenched above knew they were the targets, and had alerted their fighters to rally. Staff Sgt. Luis Morales of Fredericksburg was the first to see an armed insurgent and opened fire, killing him. But at that moment, the insurgents began blasting away at the American and Afghan troops with machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades--shooting down on each of the U.S. positions from virtually all sides. ``All elements were pinned down from extremely heavy fire from the get-go,'' Walton said. ``It was a coordinated attack.'' The insurgent Afghan fighters knew there was only one route up the valley and ``were able to wait until we were in the most vulnerable position to initiate the ambush,'' said Staff Sgt. Seth E. Howard, the team weapons sergeant. Almost immediately, exposed U.S. and Afghan troops were hit. An Afghan interpreter was killed, and Staff Sgt. Dillon Behr was shot in the hip. ``We were pretty much in the open, there were no trees to hide behind,'' said Morales, who with Walton pulled Behr back to their position. Morales cut open Behr's fatigues and applied pressure to his bleeding hip, even though Morales himself had been shot in the right thigh. A minute later, Morales was hit again, in the ankle, leaving him struggling to treat himself and his comrade, he said. Absent any cover, Walton moved the body of the dead Afghan interpreter to shield the wounded. Farther down the hill in the streambed, Master Sgt. Scott Ford, the team sergeant, was firing an M203 grenade launcher at the fighting positions, he recalled. An Afghan commando fired rocket-propelled grenades at the windows from which they were taking fire, while Howard shot rounds from a rocket launcher and recoilless rifle. Ford, of Athens, Ohio, then moved up the mountain amid withering fire to aid Walton at his command position. The ferocity of the attack surprised him, as rounds ricocheted nearby every time he stuck his head out from behind a rock. ``Typically they run out of ammo or start to manage their ammo, but . . . they held a sustained rate of fire for about six hours,'' he said. As Ford and Staff Sgt. John Wayne Walding returned fire, Walding was hit below his right knee. Ford turned and saw that the bullet ``basically amputated his right leg right there on the battlefield.'' Walding, of Groesbeck, Tex., recalled: ``I literally grabbed my boot and put it in my crotch, then got the boot laces and tied it to my thigh, so it would not flop around. There was about two inches of meat holding my leg on.'' He put on a tourniquet, watching the blood flow out the stump to see when it was tight enough. Then Walding tried to inject himself with morphine but accidentally used the wrong tip of the syringe and put the needle in his thumb, he later recalled. ``My thumb felt great,'' he said wryly, noting that throughout the incident he never lost consciousness. ``My name is John Wayne,'' he said. Soon afterward, a round hit Ford in the chest, knocking him back but not penetrating his body armor. A minute later, another bullet went through his left arm and shoulder, hitting the helmet of the medic, Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer, who was behind him treating Behr. An insurgent sniper was zeroing in on them. Bleeding heavily from the arm, Ford put together a plan to begin removing the wounded, knowing they could hold out only for so long without being overrun. By this time, Air Force jets had begun dropping dozens of munitions on enemy positions precariously close to the Green Berets, including 2,000-pound bombs that fell within 350 yards. ``I was completely covered in a cloud of black smoke from the explosion,'' said Howard, and Behr was wounded in the intestine by a piece of shrapnel. The evacuation plan, Ford said, was that ``every time they dropped another bomb, we would move down another terrace until we basically leapfrogged down the mountain.'' Ford was able to move to lower ground after one bomb hit, but insurgent fire rained down again, pinning the soldiers left behind. ``If we went that way, we would have all died,'' said Howard, who was hiding behind 12-inch-high rocks with bullets bouncing off about every 10 seconds. Insurgents again nearly overran the U.S. position, firing down from 25 yards away--so near that the Americans said they could hear their voices. Another 2,000-pound bomb dropped ``danger close,'' Howard said, allowing the soldiers to get away. Finally, after hours of fighting, the troops made their way down to the streambed, with those who could still walk carrying the wounded. A medical evacuation helicopter flew in, but the rotors were immediately hit by bullets, so the pilot hovered just long enough to allow the in-flight medic to jump off, then flew away. A second helicopter came in but had to land in the middle of the icy, fast-moving stream. ``It took two to three guys to carry each casualty through the river,'' Ford said. ``It was a mad dash to the medevac.'' As they sat on the helicopter, it sustained several rounds of fire, and the pilot was grazed by a bullet. By the time the battle ended, the Green Berets and the commandos had suffered 15 wounded and two killed, both Afghans, while an estimated 150 to 200 insurgents were dead, according to an official Army account of the battle. The Special Forces soldiers had nearly run out of ammunition, with each having one to two magazines left, Ford said. ``We should not have lived,'' said Walding, reflecting on the battle in a phone interview from Fort Bragg, N.C., where he and the nine others are to receive the Silver Stars today. Nine more Green Berets from the 3rd Special Forces Group will also receive Silver Stars for other battles. About 200 U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have received the Silver Star, the U.S. military's third-highest combat award. ____ Master Sergeant Scott E. Ford, United States Army for gallantry in action on 6 April 2008, while under intense enemy fire as Team Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His personal courage and commitment to mission accomplishment are a testament to his bravery under fire. Master Sergeant Ford exposed himself to insurgent fire in order to provide precision fire against insurgent fighting positions. Master Sergeant Ford, although injured, never stopped leading his men and continued to organize forces to assist his comrades until he was physically incapable of fighting. Master Sergeant Ford's actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army. Staff Sergeant Luis G. Morales, United States Army for gallantry in action on 6 April 2008, while under intense enemy fire as Intelligence Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His personal courage and commitment to mission accomplishment are a testament to his bravery under fire. Staff Sergeant Morales, although wounded, heroically ran back into the line of fire to retrieve wounded comrades and administered treatment to the wounded. His selfless acts in the face of enemy fire saved numerous lives. Staff Sergeant Morales' actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army. Staff Sergeant John W. Walding, United States Army for gallantry in action on 6 April 2008, while serving as Senior Communications Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sergeant Walding acted without regard for his personal safety in leading an assault element up over 500 meters of uphill terrain under intense enemy fire in order to reinforce his detachment's beleaguered position. Once reaching the position, he was critically wounded by sniper fire, but continued to lay down suppressing fire so his unit could organize casualty retrieval. His extreme courage and selfless devotion to his fallow Soldiers in the face of a life-threatening injury inspired the entire assault force over the course of the six- hour firefight. Staff Sergeant Walding's actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan, and the United States Army. Staff Sergeant Seth E. Howard, United States Army for gallantry in action on 6 April 2008, while under intense enemy fire as Junior Weapons Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His personal courage and commitment to mission accomplishment are a testament to his bravery under fire. Staff Sergeant Howard bravely defended his comrades and refused to withdraw from his position until everyone was safe. His courageous efforts prevented the position from being overrun on two separate occasions, and his counter sniper fires helped save the lives of his fellow Soldiers and Afghan commandos. [[Page 12093]] Staff Sergeant Howards' actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army. Specialist Michael D. Carter, United States Army for gallantry in action on 6 April 2008, while under intense enemy fire as Combat Cameraman, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336. Special Operations Task Force-33, In support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His personal courage and commitment to mission accomplishment are a testament to his bravery under fire. Specialist Carter exposed himself to insurgent fire in order to recover a critically wounded comrade, as well as a Satellite Communications Radio. Specialist Carter's actions aided in the re-establishment of communication with higher headquarters. He also shielded casualties from falling debris and assisted in an extremely dangerous and courageous rescue of more than six casualties. Specialist Carter's actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-- Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army. Staff Sergeant Dillon L. Behr, United States Army for gallantry in action on 6 April 2008, while serving as a communications sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After insurgent forces ambushed his combined raid element, Staff Sergeant Behr acted with total disregard for his own safety, holding his position as bullets impacted within inches of him, even after sustaining a life-threatening wound to his leg and later after receiving a second critical wound. Over the course of the more-than-six-hour battle, Staff Sergeant Behr continued to engage and kill multiple enemies until he was no longer physically capable of holding his weapon. His tremendous courage and selfless devotion to his fellow Soldiers inspired his unit to continue to fight against overwhelming odds until relief arrived. Staff Sergeant Behr's actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan, and the United States Army. Sergeant Matthew O. Williams, United States Army For Gallantry in action on 6 April 2008. while under intense enemy fire as Weapons Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His personal courage and commitment to mission accomplishment are a testament to his bravery under fire. His actions directly attributed to the suppression of enemy combatants. Sergeant Williams' bravery allowed the patrol to evacuate the other soldiers without further casualties. Sergeant Williams' actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself. Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan, Operation Command Central, and the United States Army. Staff Sergeant Ronald J. Shurer, United States Army For Gallantry in action on 6 April 2008 while under intense enemy fire as Senior Medical Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His personal courage and commitment to mission accomplishment are a testament to his bravery under fire. Staff Sergeant Shurer rendered life saving aid to wounded casualties under his care. His ingenious actions saved the lives of numerous teammates. Staff Sergeant Shurer's actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army. Captain Kyle M. Walton, United States Army For Gallantry in action on 6 April 2008, while under intense enemy fire as the Team Commander, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His personal courage and commitment to mission accomplishment are a testament to his bravery under fire. He continued to maintain effective command and control of five different maneuver elements while repeatedly engaging enemy combatants. His unwavering combat leadership and poise under fire was directly responsible for saving the lives of United States and Afghan Soldiers. Captain Walton's leadership and bravery are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army. Sergeant David J. Sanders, United States Army For Gallantry in action on 6 April 2008, while under intense enemy fire as Engineer Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His personal courage and commitment to mission accomplishment are a testament to his bravery under fire. His heroic efforts to mark insurgent fighting positions with his grenade launcher was crucial for the delivery of on target ordinance that destroyed insurgent fighting positions and made possible the withdrawal of his element. His bravery, poise under fire, determination against a numerically superior force, and concern for his fallen comrades, were integral to the successful medical evacuation and movement of the rest of the force to the extraction point. Sergeant Sanders' actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force--Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army. Citation To Accompany the Award of the Bronze Star Medal (With Valor) to Robert Gutierrez, Jr. Staff Sergeant Robert Gutierrez, Jr., distinguished himself by heroism as a Special Tactics Combat Controller, 21st Expeditionary Special Tactics Squadron, Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component while engaged in ground combat against an enemy of the United States in Afghanistan on 6 April 2008. On that day, Sergeant Gutierrez was attached to Army Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha 3312 as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller, in support of Operation COMMANDO WRATH. He provided critical Airmanship skills during a violent 6 and a half hour battle against heavily armed and entrenched enemy fighters. While approaching the objective, while climbing near-vertical terrain, the assault force was ambushed by anti-Coalition forces which pinned down the lead team on a 60-foot high rock cliff and produced several friendly casualties. Sergeant Gutierrez coordinated with the engaged element and directed lethal gun, missile, and bomb attacks from AH-64s and F-15Es. Despite these strikes, the attack intensified onto his team's position. Despite being struck twice by 7.62 millimeter bullets in the helmet, Sergeant Gutierrez maintained his calm demeanor and continued to prosecute targets. As the fight continued, the insurgents shifted their efforts toward arriving helicopters and engaged them with heavy fire. Sergeant Gutierrez coordinated with the ground force commander to delay friendly force extraction until the enemy positions could be suppressed. Enabled his systematic control of air power during the fight, all 17 friendly casualties were safely evacuated and 40 enemy fighters were killed. By his heroic actions and unselfish dedication to duty, Sergeant Gutierrez has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. ____________________